But from our satellites around there we would get a once in a lifetime show. Google the video of the ones that hit Jupiter and imagine what something a lot closer, a lot bigger, and being videoed with much better cameras would produce.

Yeah, the thing about this comet is that it's going to make all our research into the possibility of life on Mars a moot point. That thing is a planet killer. Once the comet hits, even if there was life there, the entire planet will be sterilized. Not even bacteria would survive.

Darth_VaderAuburn FanWhere I lay My Head Is HomeMember since Dec 201131691 posts

re: Very Large comet may hit Mars in Oct 2014Posted by Darth_Vader on 2/25/13 at 9:23 am to ThaKaptin

quote:Definitely top 5 kids movie for sure. Great flick. Megamind is my fav kids movie though. The scene at the end where he shows up with the intro to Welcome to the Jungle playing is easily the most badass movie scene in the history of movies.

Megamind is good as well. My son was like a Finding Nemo junky when he was 3 & 4. Every day when we'd get home he had to watch it. It was literally the only thing the kid wanted to see on a TV for the better part of a year. When I said I'd seen it like 100 times, that was actually a rather conservative estimate.

quote:Yeah, the thing about this comet is that it's going to make all our research into the possibility of life on Mars a moot point. That thing is a planet killer. Once the comet hits, even if there was life there, the entire planet will be sterilized. Not even bacteria would survive.

Well hate to break it to folks but it's true. Even if there is microbial life up there, it will be totally wiped out in Oct 2014. In fact this comet is large enough it may go ahead and wipe out most ,if not all, what little atmosphere Mars has. The blast from this thing is going to be massive.

quote:Thanks. So basically, this will have zero effect on my life. Not even a cool fireworks show. Gotcha.

I think the biggest impact it will have on us is it very well could alter our future colonization plans for Mars. I'm sure we'll still go there though if for no other reason than to study the devastation this thing will leave behind.

quote:Well hate to break it to folks but it's true. Even if there is microbial life up there, it will be totally wiped out in Oct 2014. In fact this comet is large enough it may go ahead and wipe out most ,if not all, what little atmosphere Mars has. The blast from this thing is going to be massive.

Yes the atmosphere would probably be gone but life would not necessarily be gone. If it was there in the first place. I mean, the crater left after the one that killed the dinosaurs was 180 km in diameter and 10 km deep. Not as wide a crater but Much deeper and life obviously survived.

quote:Yes the atmosphere would probably be gone but life would not necessarily be gone. If it was there in the first place. I mean, the crater left after the one that killed the dinosaurs was 180 km in diameter and 10 km deep. Not as wide a crater but Much deeper and life obviously survived. Dont underestimate the ability of life, especially micro organisms to survive catastrophe.

Well there are some key differences here. First, life was much more diverse and established here on Earth when the comet or asteroid that took out he dinosaurs hit us. Also, the Earth had deep oceans that protected many species of life from the worst effects of the impact and it's aftermath. Finally there is the fact the Earth is much larger than Mars.

Mars is only about half the size of the Earth, has no oceans, and it's atmosphere is less than 1% as thick as what we have here on Earth. Put all the factors together and the odds of any forms of life surviving the impact or it's aftermath are extremely remote.